Realms Gate: A Realm Divided

by Juliet Anderson

  Where the bloody hell are you?” Magnus invaded her mind.

  Having rather an interesting chat with Isafor Voktere.

  You’re what?

  I’ll explain shortly. And before you come racing downstairs, Heinrekh is in the bar next door, so stay out of sight.

  I’m coming to get you, where are you?

  In the bookstore across the street. Burst in and you’ll spook a whole nest of Vokteren. I’m fine. I should be leaving in just a minute. Hopefully, she added to herself.

  “I must go, Isafor, before my companions start looking for me. Heinrekh will recognise them too.”

  “We will leave via the rear and around to the back of the hotel.”

  She followed him out, down an alleyway and walked around to the hotel’s tiny rear entrance. “We cannot instruct you here, it is too dangerous. Do you have any objections if I, or perhaps another, comes to tutor you at Muirhead.”

  “No, that will probably we easier for us all.”

  “My brothers will need to complete some research but we do believe we can help you. We have as much knowledge at our fingertips as Heinrekh, which is why we keep evading him.”

  She took hold of his hand. “Thank you, Isafor. I hope this truce will be beneficial for both our sides.”

  She slipped inside the door and up to their room. Magnus was pacing like a caged tiger.

  “Relax, hot shot, I’m back. With Coke, chocolate and possibly a tutor.”

  Birdie rolled her eyes. “You cannot even cross the street without something happening. Now would you care to explain, young lady?”

  Erin gave them a full account of her conversation with Isafor and her brief meeting of the Vokteren. Magnus hissed loudly when she admitted heading into a basement room alone.

  “I must hand it to you, Erin. You really are the diplomat. Getting the head of the Vokteren to tutor you,” Birdie could not hide her admiration.

  “Can they really be trusted?” Magnus was not so sure.

  “Trust is not an issue. The only thing I need from them is instruction. They want me to limit Heinrekh’s power, and by helping me find a way to release mum, they will succeed. We are not planning on becoming best buddies, but two opposing forces coming together to defeat a common enemy.”

  “And they are aware who you are rescuing?”

  “Yes. Although, if the truth be known, I may well think of an alternative exit point for mum rather than a Vokteren nest.”

  “I would agree with you. In fact all you need do is return her to Lokranor. I am sure Wilhelm could provide military cover once you are over the border.”

  Erin tried not to think about Wilhelm. She longed to see him again. But was the person that night really him or had Heinrekh had a part in it? It was a distraction she did not need at the moment. “It seems we have the makings of a plan.” Erin stuffed a chocolate bar into her mouth. Sheer heaven. “Are we taking the sea plane back to Thurso?”

  Magnus went white.

  “You’ve got to love those intrepid, sea-faring Vikings,” she sniggered.

  “That’s the problem, the only sea part of the trip is when the damn plane lands. If it stayed on the water, I would be fine. Vikings were not designed for air travel.”

  “Perhaps some Dramamine before we leave Forde tomorrow would help,” Birdie offered.

  CHAPTER 11

  Heinrekh was in his vault continuing his search. Frejboren had been a dead end. He needed to look further afield. Grunfeld was unlikely but he would give it a try. The Vokteren would be expecting him, so he would delay that visit for a while. He was sure there must be other gateways that were known only to the Vokteren. He would find them in time.

  One booked caught his attention; he remembered his father showing it to him when he was just a boy. It was about Aria, Valkarin’s unwilling wife. She was the daughter of King Brimir and had been abducted by Valkarin. His goal was to produce a legitimate heir to the Lokranor throne.

  Aria was not the simple woman everyone thought, she was clever and cunning. Over the years she was married to Valkarin, she studied his volumes on sorcery, learnt everything she could about the dark arts. She gradually became quite skilled herself, but never strong enough to challenge her husband. Aria was working on a way to safeguard future generations from the likes of Valkarin. She stole some of his blood whilst he was sleeping, with the help of a sleeping drought, and poured this into molten pewter. From it was made a wrist band set with a huge purple crystal, a bejewelled dagger and a medallion bearing his crest. An enchantment was put on the items, so when all three were reunited and held by one person, they would be able to drain Valkarin of his powers.

  Valkarin got wind of what she was up to, but not before she had arranged for the items to be split up and hid in Viking strongholds. Valkarin killed Aria in a fit of rage at being outsmarted but never managed to track down the three items.

  Heinrekh put the book down on the table. He always assumed the story to be nothing more than a myth, but if there was any element of truth in it, perhaps it should be looked in to. He was not in a position to go travelling but he knew someone who was.

  His mind drifted back to Sasha, he was missing her. More than he wanted to admit. She was a long way from Muirhead, doing things he did not know about, being talked to by young men he could not keep away. Jealous and longing eventually took him over completely, he needed to talk to her, to see her.

  He would visit her via Baldoren Crystal, but to do so he would need to be in the First Realm. He could not yet travel ethereally inter-realm. With the crystal packed into a padded box, Heinrekh rode out to the gateway for McBride Castle. From the barn, he cloaked himself so he could enter the McBride house without detection. Sasha’s bedroom seemed cold and empty. He flopped down on her bed and hugged a pillow. It still had her perfume. Having a strong scent would make travel easier.

  Lying on the bed, he shut his eyes and clasped the crystal, his mind tuning in to Sasha. He had marked her with blue energy, so she would be easy to trace amongst so many First Realmers. It seemed to take forever to reach her, she was a long way from Muirhead. She was in bed asleep, she looked beautiful. He reached out and touched her cheek. Not that he could actually feel it, he pretended he could.

  “Sasha, my love,” he whispered in her ear.

  Her eyes opened slowly. “Heinrekh,” she gave a sleepy smile. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see you. You’re looking well.”

  “I miss you,” she tried to touch him but her hand went straight through his image. “That is truly freaky,” she sighed.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Yes. Edinburgh is pretty lively.”

  He glanced about her accommodation. “This room is not quite as refined as your own.”

  “Welcome to student life.”

  “How are your studies?”

  “Going well, I think. The course is great. I just wish I was nearer home.” She sat up and stretched, giving Heinrekh a perfect view of her soft figure.

  “As do I. Will you be home soon?”

  “Yes. Next weekend, hopefully.”

  “Will you come to Vasmaar?”

  “Yes. My mother is away and Angus is will be busy.”

  “Good. I want to wake up next to you again.”

  “You will. Remember, this is not a permanent move. I will be home for almost five weeks over Christmas.”

  “Christmas?”

  “A holiday period we have at the end of the year.”

  “I must go,” he ran his hand down her bare arms, imagining the heat radiating off them.

  “Can you actually feel anything?”

  “No. But I can remember,” he gave a wicked grin.

  She reached up and dropped a kiss on the mouth of his projected image. “I will see you very soon.”

  Heinrekh forced himself to release the crystal. He wanted to stay attached for as long as it took her to come back. Now he had that wonderful image of her lying in bed, her
soft red hair splayed out on the white pillow. Damn it, his longing was even worse now.

  What good was it being the land’s most powerful sorcerer when the woman he wanted was in another realm, hundreds of miles away? Life really was cruel at times. He headed back downstairs and stopped via the study. He had a mission for Angus.

  Isafor Voktere sat at the head of the group deep in thought. His unexpected meeting with Erin McLomard could alter their future dramatically. Forging an alliance to help Erin rescue the High Priestess of Lokranor seemed to go against the very fabric of their existence, but it would help them.

  Heinrekh was too powerful, he had already decimated their numbers. Erin was probably the only one at the moment who could stand before him. Erin and the High Priestess together could actually defeat him. But she was pure of heart. And that was what endeared her to him. She only wanted this temporary alliance to do good, restore the balance of power. And they needed time to rebuild their numbers, to wait for Valkarin’s heir.

  “What exactly is your plan, Isafor?” Tallin, his second in command spoke.

  “Erin is gifted like Heinrekh, but she has never been exposed to sorcery. She needs a tutor to show her the full extent of her powers. She must learn how to undo Heinrekh’s work.”

  “And it is your intention to go to Muirhead?”

  “No. I believe Jasper will be the ideal candidate.”

  A figure at the end of the table jumped to his feet. “You want me to go to Muirhead?” he sounded positively horrified.

  “It is a peaceful town, Jasper,” Isafor attempted to pacify him. “Besides, what is the point of all the research you have done over the last twenty years, if you pass it on to no one?”

  “But to live in the enemy’s camp.”

  “Erin is not our enemy, nor has she even been. She is a pacifist, and will only ever fight or draw blood to protect herself.”

  “I thought it was our sole mission to protect Valkarin.”

  “By helping Erin to weaken Heinrekh’s powers, we are. Besides, I believe Erin is the key to finding Valkarin’s heir.”

  “How so?”

  “It was something I felt up at the Castle, almost like a whisper in my ear from our Lord himself, telling me this girl holds the clues.”

  “If Erin is successful in rescuing the Priestess, she might also release our brothers which Heinrekh holds captive. If they are still alive.” Tallin waded into the debate.

  Jasper grunted, not appreciating Tallin’s emotional blackmail. His own son was one such captive. “How long do I need to be there?”

  “A brief period. You will have to instruct her quickly. Heinrekh’s spies are everywhere, and this alliance must be kept secret at all costs.”

  “When must I leave?”

  “When you are sure you have all the information you need to be of use to Erin.” Isafor stood up. “This, my brothers, could be the single most important thing we do. I certainly believe we are about to change our future. Before long I see Valkarin rising. A dream the Vokteren have hoped to see for millennia.”

  CHAPTER 12

  Magnus paid a visit to Wilhelm, he was having cold feet about Erin being trained by a Vokteren. He hoped Ajax might have dug up some useful information.

  “What news have you found?” he asked the prince.

  “Not as much as we would have hoped,” Wilhelm sighed. This was his one chance to get back in Erin’s good books, and he was not doing that well. “We can find no trace of other gateways. But they must exist.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  “We have the Realms Gate, yet we know of at least two others into the First Realm. I suspect there are many. In fact Heinrekh has been seen along the border a lot recently, which makes me believe he is crossing over.”

  “What of the Vokteren?”

  “They are not all they appear to be. Ajax has found reference to them being a noble group, fiercely protective of what they believe in, but honourable to the core. There are stories of them sacrificing themselves to keep Valkarin’s tomb safe and out the reach of those who want to abuse his power.”

  “It’s kind of warped, considering they serve probably the most evil sorcerer who ever lived,” Magnus grunted.

  “Perhaps their views have been distorted over time. Now he is revered not feared.” Wilhelm looked quizzically at Magnus. “Why so much interest in the Vokteren?”

  “There is every chance we will meet them as they guard the gateways from the Third Realm.”

  “You have visited the gateways?”

  “Yes, all three of us took a trip there recently. It was certainly interesting and yes, both gateways were heavily guarded.”

  Wilhelm headed to the table and poured them some wine. “How is Erin?”

  “The same as usual. Grumpy, disrespectful and a complete irritant.”

  Wilhelm laughed despite himself. “You should not aggravate her, you know what she is capable of.”

  “I know, but I cannot help it.” He took a long drink on his wine. “And yes, she does miss you.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Whenever your name is mentioned, she gets a dazed, slightly sad expression.”

  “Perhaps one day soon I can extend an invitation for her to visit Lokranor again.”

  “I think she would like that.”

  “And now you are to visit my cousin?”

  “Yes,” Magnus felt supremely happy. “Your father has reinstated our betrothal.”

  “I know. But be warned, he hopes to use Ingrid as a means to keep you with your eyes firmly set on Lokranor’s best interests.”

  “I am aware of that.”

  “I give you my word that I will bring Ingrid to Muirhead should anything we do upset my father. I will not have your relationship torn apart a second time.”

  Magnus felt quite humbled by Wilhelm’s words. The young prince really was starting to show his true strength.

  Erin was feeling decided restless. Magnus was back in Lokranor for a couple of days. Sasha was in Edinburgh. And Wilhelm, well she missed him. But she could not be around someone who could potentially hurt her. She had enough people wanting to do that anyway.

  The sun was making a vague attempt to shine, so she wrapped up warm and headed down towards the loch, with Jacques lolloping behind her. She did her best to try and clear her mind, but it kept wandering back to her mother. Her natural mother. In the few minutes Erin had had with her, Lodraill had shown more warmth than her step-mother had in the entire thirteen years she had known her. Right about now she desperately needed a mother to talk to. She needed advice on how to handle a young Viking prince.

  She bent down and picked up a stick, throwing it for Jacques. The huge St Bernard sprang into action and darted off with remarkable speed, if not grace. At the moment all her hopes were being pinned on a member of the Vokteren being able to train her to defeat Heinrekh’s energy shield. If she could do that, she could get her mother back.

  Jacques reappeared with a drool-covered stick. Erin threw it again. She found herself standing outside the entrance to the Mausoleum. It has been a while since she had visited her father, but as she had spoken to him recently via Baldoren crystal, there had not seemed much point. She headed into the serenest of buildings. A fresh bunch of white lilies lay on top of the marble tomb, Birdie had obviously been here. Erin stroked the cold white marble for a moment before resting her cheek against it.

  “I miss you, dad,” she murmured, shutting her eyes and trying to conjure up images of them together.

  She felt his arms wrap around her. “I am always watching over you, Erin. You need never be afraid.”

  “But I am. Afraid that I cannot complete the task ahead of me. That I will let everyone down.”

  “I am proud of the person you have become. I do not doubt for a moment that you will achieve everything you set out to do.”

  “Do you know about mum?” Erin asked.

  “Yes. It is kind of ironic that I had to die to find out she
was still alive. One day we will be reunited.” She felt an ice cold sensation run down her arm. “I need to return to my world, Erin. Remember I am always with you.”

  “I love you, dad,” she felt a tear slip down her cheek.

  She opened her eyes feeling a little disorientated. She was not sure how she had just managed to speak to her father without a Baldoren crystal but he had most definitely crossed to her side. She gave her head a shake. Perhaps she should have gone to University and forgotten everything she knew about Muirhead and Lokranor. Before coming here, she had just been unloved and blissfully unaware. Now she was loved and scared to death of the legacy her father had left her. Actually it was more like a trail of destruction.